Paul Mobius grew up in North Bellmore in Nassau County and it wasn't long after high school that he got on the service track. He graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1956 with a degree in marine engineering. He served as an engineering officer at sea for Ore Navigation Corporation, but also for his country on a transport in the Mediterranean. His work included participation in an underwater demolition team.

After years at sea, Paul was ready to settle down on land but not the mainland. In 1962, he and Dorothy came to Shelter Island and Paul helped rejuvenate the Pridwin Hotel as part-owner and manager for 25 years. Somehow Paul and Dorothy found time to raise two sons, Mark and Matt. Those first 25 years and the ones that followed were full of public service: 30 years in the Lions Club (including a stint as president), 47 years in the choir of the Presbyterian Church where he also served as an elder and trustee, 12 years as a director and 15 years as a member of the Shelter Island Historical Society, four years as a trustee of the Shelter Island Public Library, seven years as director or president of the Chamber of Commerce, 12 years as a committeeman and eight as treasurer of the local Republican Committee, 20 years involvement with both the Friends of Music and the Community Chorus.

And that list doesn't include the times he stepped up to serve as a town official. Paul filled a Town Justice/Town Councilman seat when the jobs were combined in 1971 to 1975. He returned to serve as a Town Board Councilman from 1996 to 2003. He was deputy supervisor for six terms during his council years. He has volunteered on town committees including the Youth Commission, Waterways Committee and New Ferry Study Group. He is currently a member of the Planning Board and just finished work on a special task force that reviewed the effectiveness of the town's Comprehensive Plan.

He received a town proclamation in 2004 in recognition of his “long and deep involvement in town matters” in which he was “an outstanding example and inspiration to the public.” That recognition was followed by many others Friday night.

Suffolk County Legislator Ed Romaine was the first speaker to hail Mr. Mobius. “Here's what I call the model citizen ... He has not been shy about getting involved in this community.”

Legislator Romaine presented a proclamation declaring May 30 Paul Mobius Day in Suffolk County. “All I can say to end my speech is: Paul, God bless you.”

Mr. Monaghan commented that Paul has held just about every town office, “he has done everything here except be supervisor, which I think shows his wisdom and intelligence.” With that, he introduced Town Supervisor Jim Dougherty.

“We have the privilege of honoring someone who deserves to be honored,” the supervisor began. He credited Mr. Mobius with helping develop the town zoning code and he presented a proclamation on behalf of the Town Board bestowed “with great feeling and energy and love.”

That proclamation lists Paul's service to the town “in multiple capacities” but also notes that “he used his considerable talents and energy as a principal architect and builder of the helicopter for the school production of ‘Miss Saigon' and the steam train for the ‘Bye Bye Birdie' production,” kudos that were enthusiastically applauded.

Ken Lewis Jr. spoke, in part, on behalf of his mother, Councilwoman Chris Lewis, who could not attend.

“I promise to be brief because I know that Pastor Bill is still on the docket,” he began. Mr. Lewis, a School Board member, thanked Mr. Mobius on behalf of the Board of Education for “what he has done for those school productions ... it's outstanding.”

He described a 35-year relationship between the Lewis and Mobius families. “The Mobius household was a second home to me as ours was to Matt,” one of the Mobius's two sons.

The boys would watch sports with Ken's father, who, whenever he saw a great performance, “would pick up the phone and say ... what Matt? — ”

“One of the best,” Matt completed the phrase.

“I'd like to say ... that not only do Matt and Mark have one of the best as a father, Matt's sons have that as a grandfather, Mrs. Mobius, of course, has that as a husband and this Island really has ‘one of the best.'”

Mr. Monaghan noted that “there have been a couple of references to the school play.” Drama Club students wanted to be here to thank Mr. Mobius, he said, but had committed to participating in the Relay for Life walk against cancer in Southold. “They said, ‘Do you think that Mr. Mobius would be upset.' ‘No,' I said, ‘he'd be proud.'”

“Paul also works for a living” as a real estate agent, Mr. Monaghan continued, and to attest to that was Georgiana Ketcham. She echoed Mr. Lewis's sentiments, describing Paul as “one of the best in my office ... I don't think Paul ever sleeps.”

Mr. Monaghan read a letter from Lions President Joe O'Brien, who couldn't attend but wrote to Paul: “You live the Lions' motto — we serve — every day of your life.”

Pastor Bill Grimbol of the Presbyterian Church commented, “I think of Paul in the miracle category ... When you saw the train” (in “Bye Bye Birdie”), “did you not think miracle?”

He cited the honoree's long service — for all of Pastor Bill's 25 years — as handyman and gopher on the church's decorating committee under the direction of Edith Lechmanski. “That means he's been through 100 seasonal changes” and is still willing to do more. A miracle of sorts.

“I think it's a miracle that you and Dot have raised two remarkable young men with such big hearts ... who understand what it means to be a truly good human being.”

Pastor Bill described how Paul exemplifies an essential message he tries to teach — “that the genuine good life, the real good life, is indeed about very basic, very simple things. It is about generosity and graciousness and kindness and decency. And it's about being a person who makes other peoples' lives easier and better ... The easiest way to teach the essence of that is to say ‘Be like him' ... Whenever you hear that phrase ‘walking the walk,' that's Paul Mobius. He just lives it.”

The most remarked comments came from Paul's wife Dorothy. When Paul graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, he was awarded the Superintendent's Cup for Character. Dot read the letter that accompanied the award given 53 years ago:

“‘Dear Mr. Mobius:

‘My heartiest congratulations to you on winning the Superintendent's Cup for Character. You are the 9th winner of this award, which I have set up myself, because I believe that skill and scholarship are wasted if character is weak.

‘Character, integrity and courage to be in the minority if you believe in your call. Endurance and patience and the sure instinct to do the right thing at the right time, even when no one is looking.

‘You, as a recipient of this cup, have demonstrated these qualities while you were here at Kings Point and I know you will strengthen them in the years ahead and be to your alma mater, to your profession and to your family a strong tower always.

‘Do not forget that humility is an ingredient of good character as well as proper pride in achievement. My best wishes go to you with this cup and I shall follow your career with interest.

‘Sincerely, Gordon McClintock, rear admiral.'

“I think that this award given so many years ago speaks for itself ... He is the same person today as he was when he was 23 and who would know that better than me.

“Paul has brought these qualities to his life, his involvements and his activities here on Shelter Island. An example of this was his participation in five town elections over the years, two he lost with dignity and three he won with modesty.

“For myself and for our family, he has been a strong tower. A support of love, encouragement and sharing in so many ways, his positive approach to life but never compromising his principles. The admiral was right.

“We are so happy that our husband, our dad, our father-in-law and our grandpa has been honored by the Lion's Club as Citizen of the Year,” Mrs. Mobius concluded to an appreciative audience.

“In case you think this man is perfect and we're going to have him bronzed,” church friend Edith Lechmanski began, “he has rattled one of my chains occasionally.” She told a couple of stories including that of a nativity stable promised but not delivered until the Christmas pageant dress rehearsal. “I forgave him,” she said, adding, “Paul Mobius, you are a decent man.”

Lion's President-elect Bill Anderson introduced Mr. Mobius, who began by saying. “I might get emotional.” His usually resonant voice thinned at times but he kept his composure as he thanked everyone in the full house for coming — “just the fact you're here means so much.

“I'm so overwhelmed that I'm speechless ...  Well almost speechless.”

He spoke of his arrival on the Island in 1962, his love of the Island's beaches, water, golf “and that home town feeling ... The Island's greatest asset is its people” whom he described as “amazing and wonderful.” Many of them “make me look really good,” he added. “Some of them should be in this spot right now and some I'm sure will be in the future.”

Paul's friends and colleagues were not surprised that he had to work a joke or funny story into his comments. “I enjoy making people laugh although sometimes I make them groan,” he said.

He told a true story dating back to Reverend Bill Gainey's leadership at the Presbyterian Church. “He talked me into being superintendent of Sunday School — if he'd only known what a devil I was” as a church student. On his first day, Mr. Mobius visited each Sunday School class to welcome them beginning with the youngest. After church, the nursery teacher told him that right after he left the classroom, “little Peter Speeches came up and asked, ‘Is that God?'” What an endorsement for the new superintendent.

Mr. Mobius then spoke to the present, thanking the Lions Club, the evening's speakers and his family “for graciously putting up with my many involvements and I thank you all again for being here tonight.”

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